Rubbish separator for stock for paper mills



Nov- 14, 1933- c. w. UNKLE ET AL RUBBISH SEPARATOR FOR STOCK FOR PAPER MILLS Filed July 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS CHARLES W. UNKLE HARRY C.-Mc NAGHTEN A TTORN E Y.

1933- c. w. UNKLE ET AL RUBBISH SEPARATOR FOR STOCK FOR PAPER MILLS Filed July 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CHARLES W. UNKLE.

HARRY C. MC NAGHTEN Fig. 3

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNETED stares PATENT OFFICE,

RUBBISH SEPARATOR FOR, STOCK FOR PAPER MILLS" Charles Wilbert Unkle minim Claude McNaghten, Baltimore, ,Ohio' Application July 21, 1932. Serial No. 623,844;

13 Claims.

The invention to be hereinafter described re; lates to separators for use in paper mills and more fragments, small tools, broken glass, great quantipresses.

ties of paper clips, bottle caps, rags, and cord and string in great variety and quantity, etc. The regular entire contents of oifice and factory waste paper basketsand bins is dumped into the baling The bales, as delivered, contain, regu larly, anywhere from 10% to 50% absolute foreign matter injurious to the stock and damaging to the machinery. Incidentally, aside from the damage done, the power, repair,,maintenance and many other costs of the mill are increased in problem which the proportion, relatively to what they would be were there no foreign matterin the bales;

A great difficulty has been to continue consistency of the stock at the-desired point and, while in that consistency, to separate the foreign matter, without retarding the flow of the stock to the J ordans.

Clearly, presence. of this foreign material is a continuous heavy expense. Its elimination is a mills have been continuously trying to solve. Various attempts have been made but, so far, with very little success. tanks such as the well known Shartle settling tank have been tried. No means prior to this invention, has given appreciable relief.

This separator which is the result of many years experience with these difliculties, permits free normal and unretarded flow of the stock at its regular operating consistency, and during such flow automatically removes substantially, all

foreign matter. It is simple, compact, inexpensive and quickly and easily installed. Its connections with the cooperating machinerypunips and J ordans may be adapted to suit greatest convenience. It does not require to be in the same building, even though that would usually-be pref erable. It may, easily, be mounted above the machinery such as pumps, Jordans, etc; V

In order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation and use of the invention, reference is hereby made to the drawings'forming part of this application; Throughout the several figures of the drawings like reference characters designate the same partsin the different views,

Settling Inthe drawings:-'- I Y Fig. 1 is a side elevation, withthe supporting framepartly broken away;

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the inclined trough;

Fig. 3 is a right hand end'view of Fig. ,l, with 0 pipe connections omitted; and p p Fig; 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, showing one of the baffles with accumulated rubbish.

It should be remembered that the stock or stuff as it leaves the heaters, in board mills, 5 is a thick mushy mass like a papier-mach in slightly thinned condition. It is so thick that it I carries with it, in suspension, bottle caps, cord, rubber bands, rags, leather scraps, and even small tools and fragments of'iron. This mass, with its 7 greater or less percentage of foreign matter goes to the chests. From there it is pumped to the J ordans. So whatever foreign matter passes through the large capacity pumps goes into the J ordans. ,In the mill in which this invention has 7 been developed, the inventors have found it necessary, prior to this .invention, to clean out the Jordans regularly every half-hour. Even then, the accumulation would sometimes cause real damage. In a short time, the collection may be- 0 come such as to tightly clog the Jordan and completely strip the blades, involving a resulting heavy repair bill. Even when cleaning regularly 7 every half -hour, the'accumulation was frequently more than one bushel. With the present, inven- 5 tion in that same circuit and using the same raw material, the stock passing from it to the Jordan, the Jordan is cleared regularly once in'every eight hours, or, one-sixteenth as often, and the amount damaging foreign matter. j,

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 indicates a trough suitably mounted on any desired type of frame work or'support. It'is, in operative po- 95 sition, inclined. In the particular cases illustrated, for use in a board? mill: an inclination of about 15 degrees downwardly from the horizontal has been found very satisfactory. It is not limited to that of course. With the stock used, the inclination given has permitted unretarded flow, so that the stock passes from the pump, through the separator and to the Jordan at the same speed as it comes from the pump. Of course, with stock of a different consistency, the inclination may vary accordingly. The capacity of the trough will, of course, be proportioned to thenormal operating capacity of the pump supplying the stock. And the variable dimension willbe the width. Thus, with a greater pump necessary consumption of power.

. pumps, Jordans, pipings, etc.

delivery, a proportionately wider trough will be provided. This will keep the depth of fiow of the stock over the baffles constant, so that the separator eificiency of the invention will be maintained. This particular trough has a horizontal length of approximately 23 feet, over-all, an inside width of approximately 24 inches, and an inside depth of about '20 inches. The measurements, of course, may be varied to suit circumstances and, particularly, to suit capacities. The trough has continuous, uninterrupted inside bottom and side walls. Its ends, of course, are closed. Also, the bottom for a short distance at each end is horizontal for the ready connection of pipes, as will be understood. in the arrangement illustrated, the usual stock pump draws stock from the chest to the upper end of the rough. At the lower end one pipe leads in usual and well known manner to a Jordan and another leads back to the chest. The one leading to the chest is provided as an overflow, of course. If the flow down the separator is faster than can be taken care of by the Jordan, the excess will overflow to the chest. When the pump has been properly regulated the excess or overflow will be slight and irregular, as will be readily understood. Overflow should, of course, be reduced to the least practicable, to avoid Waste effort or 1m- The supporting frame shown may be varied, of course, to suit circumstances and the arrangement of the other machinery. This particular frame will support the separator above other machinery such as Or it may be carried on brackets from a wall, or swung from hangers overhead. It may be mounted entirely outside the particular building, or' in another building. Economy would usually dictate a loca tion within the same building and close to the pump and Jordans, preferably between them. When arranged between the pump and Jordan, that is, with the pump close to the upper end and the Jordan close to the lower end, the connection is most economical and the circulation shortest.

Obviously the above and various other methods of supporting the trough are matters of choice and detail and need no further disclosure.

Beginning at the upper end of the incline and ending with the lower end of it, a plurality of baiiies 2 are provided at intervals throughout the length of the incline. In the particular arrangement shown, they are disposed at intervals of approximately fifteen inches from centre to centre, though that is not essential. Thedistance may be somewhat more or somewhat less. Also, though it is preferable to have the distance between them substantially the same 'or uniform, "that, also, is notessential. It may be varied. These bafiies are plane panels of suitable material, such 'as wood or rust resisting metal or the like- They extend completely across the interior of the trough from one side to the other and their ends slide freely in ways or guides formed by parallel strips 3 or the like on the trough walls. Of course, when the trough is of wood, its sides may be grooved to receive the bafiie ends, though a board mill in which the raw material was average grade waste paper. Each bailie carries a plurality of rake teeth a projecting from its top. These teeth may be of wood or of metal. If of metal they should be to an appreciable degree rust proof to resist the chemicals'of the stock. Thesame is true of the bafiles and trough.

Notice particularly that the number of teeth per baffle increases progressively from top to bottom of the incline and that the spaces between teeth correspondingly decreases. nice the width of the trough is constant and also the length oi baffle, this places the raise teeth out of-line longitudinally of the incline. Each successive tooth is proportionally nearer the longi tudinal trough centre, than the one immediately preceding it. This, of cours ing action. It practically multiplies that action by the number of bafiles used, whereas, if the teeth were all in line, there would be substantially, a single raking action. Of course, they couldbe similarly displaced from one side, only, toward the other, instead of from both sides toward the centre. Other staggering arrange ments could also be used. The idea and arrangement should be such as to avoid a's fiar practicahle any two or more rake teeth fallingjin the same line longitudinally of the trough. "in the particular construction illustrate'dfthe rake teeth project substantially'six inches above the top edge of the respective 'bafiie. ,That, of course, is Variable. Preferably, the teeth are simple round rods set into or otherwise suitably secured to and carried by'the respective baffle. They may be made removable if desired. A suitable partition 5 separates the upper or inlet ends ofthe pipes leading from the lower end 'ofthe incline. it extends from a low wall 6 between the lastbailie and the pipe ends. This wall is really 'anothe bafiie except that it is without rake eeth. Preferably, the partition and that half of the wall 6 adjacent the overflow pipe are slightly higher than the other half of the wall '6, to allow the total normalfflow. tojpass to the Jordan. Thus, only the excess will accumulate iiow over the partition 5 and wall 6 into the-overflow. Briefly, the pipe ends are boxed around, the boging, for the overflow being slightly higher than that for the pipe to theJordan.

, A suitable walk, not shown, is carried byr-the frame alongside the troughso'that an operative may walk alongside of the trough and remove the accumulating rubbish at frequent intervals from the raketee'th, as'wili be readily understood. A ladder or stair, not shown, is, of course, provided, where, as is frequently the case, the lower end of the trough is raised appreciably above the ground floor. V i

Wherever metal is used in places that it will come in contact with the stock, it will be suitably protected against the chemicals of the stock, as by'chrome plating or'the like, as will be readily understood. v 5

Essentially, the invention is a cascade, each drop of which is provided with rake teeth to separate suspended rubbish,the heavierrubbish gravitating out above the drop or baffle.

The operation of the inventionis as follows:- Stock which hasbeen delivered to a chest from the usual beater will be pumped from the chest intensifies the rakof rubbish in suspension,"'the same foreign ma terial hereinbefore referred to. The rake teeth have been stated as in the illustrated example, approximately six inches high. They will, therefore, project about two inches above the moving mass; The first baflle, of course, checks the flow and sorne of the heavier foreign matter settles out against the upper side of that baffle. As the four inch layer or current overflows the top of the baille, the teeth 4 rake through and catch such rubbish as strings, rubber bands, rags, etc., etc., as well'assome heavier rubbish entangled with these lighter floating materials. The "current drops abruptly over the opposite side of the baiile to the incline of the trough and brings up short in the pocketabove the next baffle, depositing in that eddy morev of its suspended heavy rubbish. As the current piles up to overflow above the second bafiie, it gets another thorough raking through lines parallel to the first raking lines, but inwardly thereof. The flow proceeds to cascade or hurdle over each succeedingbaflle, each time being thoroughly churned or turned over by each succeeding baffle and eddy, and each time being thoroughly raked through, along different parallel paths. As it reaches the lower end of the trough, every part of it will have been very thoroughly raked and it will have been repeatedly mixed, churned, 'eddied, and settled.

settled out in the pockets above the baffles or raked out by the teeth 4. What littleis left is both small and light, as that is the only rubbish which could pass through. Thus, stock passing from the separator to the Jordan and overflow will be practically pure and as nearly as practicable absolutely free from any foreign matter.

Of course, the upper pockets will be first to fill and the upper sets of rake teeth will bethe first to become clogged. Should a set of rake teeth become clogged, as, of course, should not be permitted, the current will simply flow above and overthe clogged teeth and into the next pocket above the next bafile. I

Preferably; the teeth are kept clear by one of the operatives. He simply walks along the trough at intervals and, with his hand, lifts off the material accumulated on the teeth, and throws it in the waste cans kept near by. If advisable, one or more baflles may be completely removed, at a time, and returned, without interruption. Thus, the baffles may be repaired or renewed at will, without any interruption to the workingof the separator. The operation is continuous and uninterrupted, and the separation is complete. Stock containing various percentages of rubbish is pumped from the chest to the separator as rapidly as it is used, and it flows through the separator at the same rate. On the way through it is thoroughly cleaned and all foreign matter removed.

The separator is purely gravity operated and absolutely automaticfrom start to finish. It requires absolutely no power. At intervals, of course,'the trough should be cleaned, and all accumulated foreign matter should be removed. For this the pump is stopped. Then, beginning at the top, the baffles are successively removed and the accumulated rubbish passes down from each to the next below, until the mass piles up to near the top of the particular baffle. At that point, it is shovelled outor otherwise removed. After the trough has been thus cleaned, the baflies are replaced and the operations are resumed.

Practically all foreign matter will have been either mounted in said cascade and arranged in rows It is thought "that the construction, operation and use-of the invention will be clear from the preceding detailed description.

It will be obvious that either wood or metal or partly both may be used, as desired. It is a matter of personal choice, according to circumstances. Many changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and disposition of the various parts of the invention within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the field and intent of the invention and it is meant to include all such within this application wherein only. one preferred form has been illustrated, purely by way of example and with no thought or intention of limiting the claims thereby.

'Having thus described our invention, whatv we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough, a cascade removably mounted in said trough and rake, teeth extending upwardly from the upper edges thereof.

2. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough and a plurality of baflies removably mounted in said trough at intervals in its lengthto form catch pockets at their upper sides and to compel a current flowing down the trough to take a vertically sinuous path and rake teeth extending upwardly from the upper edges of said bafiies.

3. A rubbish separator for stock. for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough,

a cascade therein, and a plurality of rake teeth mounted in said cascade at intervals length- Wise of said trough. I

4. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough, a cascade therein, and a plurality of rake teeth mounted in said cascade and arranged in rows across said cascade.

5. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising an inclined trough, a cascade therein, and a plurality of rake teeth mounted in said cascade and arranged in rows longitudinally of said cascade.

6. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough, a cascade therein, and a plurality of rake teeth both longitudinally and cross wise of said cascade.

7. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough, a plurality of removable baflies extending completely across said trough, and a row of rake teeth carried by each bafila. v

8. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough, a plurality of bafiles in said trough, and a row of rake teeth carried by each baffie, the teeth of each bafile being differently spaced than those of the next adjacent battle.

9. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough, a plurality of baffles in said trough, and a row of rake. teeth carried by each baiile, the teeth of each baifie being in a different plane longitudinally of said trough than those of the next adjacent baffle.

10. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising, an inclined trough,

, a plurality of baffles in said trough, and a row of rake teeth carried by each baiile, the teeth of each succeeding baflle being spaced more closely than those of the next preceding baflie, and

the corresponding teeth of each bafiie, successively, being nearer the longitudinal centre of said trough than the corresponding tooth of the last preceding bafiie.

- 11.. .A rubbish separator for stock, for paper making machines comprising an inclined trough having a continuous and uninterrupted inner bottom, a plurality of removable bafiles spaced at intervals along said trough, extending completely across the interior thereof and also extending upwardly from the bottom, and rake teeth extending upwardly from the upper edges of said baffles.

12. A rubbish separator for stock for paper making machines comprising an inclined trough having a continuous and uninterrupted inner bottom, a plurality of removable baflles spaced at intervals along said trough, extending completely across the interior thereof and also extending upwa-rdlyirom the bottom, and rake teeth extending upwardly from the upper edges of said battles, the number of teeth in succeeding bailles increasing with corresponding decrease in space between the teeth-of the respective 13. ,A rubbish separator for stock for paper 7 making machines comprising a steeply inclined, 

